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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Agave Nectar

It's been a long time since I discovered a new product that rocked my world in the way agave nectar has done, so it seemed like a natural to be featured for Kalyn's Kitchen Picks, where I tell you about products I love. If you've somehow missed me raving about it, agave nectar is a 100% natural sweetener that's low on the glycemic index. It's South Beach Diet friendly, vegan, and reported to be safe for diabetics as well. (Edit 2011: I am told that not all sources agree that this is safe for diabetics; if you're diabetic, I would recommend following the advice of your doctor.)

The sweet taste in agave nectar comes from natural fructose, the same sweetener found in fruit, not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup which has chemically produced fructose. In recent years concerns have arisen concerning chemically produced agave nectar. I still believe the brand mentioned in this post is safe for most people, particuarly in the small amounts in which I use it. You may want to read Agave Myth Buster and Is Agave Nectar Safe, both of which speak specifically to this brand. Also food expert Ellie Krieger says moderate amounts of agave nectar are not harmful.

Agave nectar comes in two types, light and amber. The light variety tastes like sugar and the amber one tastes more like honey. I've tried both types and think they both taste great, with no aftertaste or "too sweet" taste like some artificial sweeteners have. Agave is sweeter than sugar or honey and also more liquid, so recipes will need to be adjusted, but more and more food bloggers are reporting good results substituting this ingredient in recipes. Agave nectar is available online if you can't find it where you live, although I think it's pretty widely available. In Salt Lake I can find it at Whole Foods as well as my regular grocery store. Keep reading to see ways I've used agave nectar, and recipes from other bloggers who are using it.

South Beach Suggestions:

I looked up fructose in The South Beach Diet Good Fats, Good Carbs Guide, my favorite little book to check ingredients, and it's considered "good." However since fructose is found in fruit, and fruit isn't allowed on phase one, I'd limit use of agave nectar to phase two and three. Agave does have carbs, and a small amount of glucose, so it needs to be counted in the daily amount of carbs you're eating if you're a South Beach Dieter, especially for phase two.

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I'm gonna head out today to see if I can find some of this stuff. I finally picked up Heidi's cookbook (Super Natural Cooking) when I was in New York and I was reading a section about agave nectar yesterday. I also remember you had mentioned in Chicago that it's good on yogurt (I am off to search your blog to find that particular post now). Thanks for more great information!

Like most vegans, I've been using agave nectar for years as a honey substitute. Recently our local natural food store has started carrying the raw agave (tastes even better than the regular) in bulk, so now I can refill my agave bottle rather than recycling it. It is MUCH cheaper to buy it in bulk, so it's really worth it to look around and see if it's available in your area.

Hi there! I love your blog. In the interest of "lively debate" though, I was curious about your comment that high fructose corn syrup is chemically produced. I'm reading Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, and by his investigation, it seems that this is naturally occurring fructose, though it is artificially extracted. Also, I've been reading a bit on how fructose is not actually good for you. This link http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.htmlseems to suggest that it's not. Just some things to consider.

I am interested in the agave, but I first would like to know if it's just another miracle product with negative effects in the long-term. Thanks for introducing me to it, though!

Hi Jen,Lively discussion is always welcome. I personally think Agave nectar is healthy in the amounts I'm using it. It's not something I've researched extensively by any means, but I think when I said "chemically produced" I was referring to the same process he's calling "artificially extracted." Regarding the Wikipedia entry, I'n not advocating a diet "high in fructose." This is a product I use for only a few things, and personally I'm sold on it.

I also think you can find things on the web to support any point of view you want to take, so everyone has to make up their own mind about these things. Thanks for weighing in.

I just discovered this amazing product and love it - We just used it in a dip that we submitted to Noble Pigs "Ho" Down and it was amazing - At my store they only had the light version now that I know there are 2 different ones out there I will keep my eyes open.

I've recently started using Agave Nectar instead of Maple Syrup. The cost of "real" Maple Syrup is so astronomical (even at Costco) compared to the cost of Agave bought in bulk at Sunflower Market, it's a no-brainer. My husband and son didn't really notice a difference although the Agave doesn't have that maple flavor.

Kalyn, I am wondering if you can use agave nectar as a substitute for sugar in jams, jellies, preserves. I have not run across any recipes for that yet. Seems to me that should not be a problem. Any suggestions?

Cheryl, I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work, and I just entered "jam with agave nectar" into Food Blog Search and I see there are some food bloggers trying it. That would be a good place to look for recipes.

I have a large container of light agave syrup. It is the third one that I have used. It is 2015 and the date says it is good thru 2017. This time only, the agave has become lighter/whitish and solidified . I always keep it in the refrigerator. We are thinking of throwing it out. Everywhere I read, "agave does not solidify". Any ideas?

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